HoopsVibe's Call: Is Danny Ferry the guy? Is the former Duke sharpshooter the guy to convince superstar LeBron James to shun the bright lights of New York and beaches of Miami to re-sign with the Cleveland Cavaliers?

Well, Dan Gilbert apparently thinks so because reports indicate the Cleveland owner will soon give Ferry a new multi-year contract.

Ferry's record as GM is mixed. He's not gun shy and has made several blockbuster trades. Problem is, even with Gilbert's significant resources, he failed to find the right supporting cast for James to excel when it mattered the most in the playoffs.

For Ferry, it's a case of quantity over quality. And it's one more thing James must consider when July 1st hits.

Can Ferry get James to stay in Cleveland? Why? Why not? Get at us in the comment box below.

HoopsVibe's Call: It was reported to be the sitdown of all sitdowns. Like the five families of New York meeting in the 1960's to split up their various interests. Yet, nobody knew if The Dons of the 2010 free agent class were really going to meet before deciding where to sign.

Until now.

Chris Bosh, LeBron James, Joe Johnson, and Dwyane Wade will connect, chat, pick their destinations, and, ultimately, decide the landscape of the NBA for years to come.

This foursome will discuss how to to partner-up and avoid undercutting each other on the open market. Look for Bosh and Wade to possibly sign as a package because they share the same agent, power-player Henry Thomas.

Of course, anything and everything can happen, so we'll just have to wait until July 1st.

What do you think of Bosh, James, Johnson, and Wade's sitdown? Get at us in the comment box below.

This has been a wild month for the Chicago Bulls organization. The whispers of LeBron, Chris Bosh, and now Phil Jackson as head coach have been spreading around the NBA like wildfire. Can the unthinkable occur? How is this even possible? This is something that the rest of the league does not want to happen. The perfect storm might be brewing somewhere in the background of the conference finals. Many people’s feelings are getting hurt around the internet if you are not a Chicago Bulls fan. This team can possibly acquire Videogame James, CB4, and Phil Jackson?

For consecutive seasons, the team fell short of expectations in the playoffs. Two years ago, against Orlando, their offensive sets were too basic; they also lacked the personnel to stop the Magic's stretch four-man Rashard Lewis.

This year they had supposedly made adjustments, but still folded against the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference Semi-Finals.

Perhaps, Brown ran too loose a ship, allowing the sideline to resemble something of a dance show during games. Perhaps, Brown delegated too much to James. Perhaps, Brown had too many weapons at his disposal. And perhaps, the end of season gossip, whether true or not, took its toll.

One thing, however, was clear: the players needed a new, different voice. So Brown had to go. And this had nothing to do with James' uncertain status.

Had the Cavaliers tuned Brown out? Get at us in the comment box below with thoughts.

Usually in professional sports, the coach is selling the free agent player on his team as a potential destination. The Los Angeles Clippers are prepared to take a different approach. As the only team without a coach that doesn't appear to be looking, reports say that the Clippers are prepared to offer big-name free agents something in addition to the maximum contract: pick your own coach. That's right, the plan in Los Angeles might be to use the coaching vacancy as an additional draw to free agents like Dwayne Wade, Chris Bosh and even Lebron James. They all know they will get the maximum salary, but where else can they pick their coach?

HoopsVibe Call: It's why the Clippers are the Clippers. And it's why they'll remain a league laughingstock.

Despite having talented players, coaches, and executives, Los Angeles' other team can't get their act together. Allowing star free agents like Chris Bosh, LeBron James, and even Dwyane Wade to pick their next coach is another example of their lunacy.

Good organizations don't let the inmates - regardless of how talented Bosh, James, and Wade are - run the asylum. For instance, in San Antonio, Tim Duncan has always deferred to coach Gregg Popovich, which forces his teammates to listen to the veteran sideline boss.

Across town, Kobe Bryant, like it or not, follows Laker coach Phil Jackson -even though he oftens seems more like the duplicitous Machiavelli than the peaceful Zen-Master. And Michael Jordan also followed Jackson when they won six NBA Titles with the Chicago Bulls.

Having a player - regardless of how great he is - select their next coach makes that coach a subordinate. And this is a recipe for disaster. Of course, leave it to the Clippers, one of the worst organizations in pro sport, to make this blunder.

Should Bosh, James, or Wade get to pick the Clippers' next coach? Should any player get to pick his coach? Get at us in the comment box below with thoughts.

"Chris Bosh's agent has told the Toronto Raptors that he's narrowed his list of preferred teams to five, two sources told ESPN.com's Chad Ford at the NBA draft camp.

The list of five teams -- Toronto plus the Chicago Bulls, Los Angeles Lakers, Miami Heat, and New York Knicks, sources said -- were given to Toronto management in case the Raptors want to construct a sign-and-trade deal (assuming he doesn't re-sign with Toronto)."

HoopsVibe's Call: Chris Bosh will not come back to the Toronto Raptors. And the NBA's sole international team shouldn't want him to come back.

Bosh claims to be about winning and this summer is his chance, his sole opportunity to partner with LeBron James or Dwyane Wade and win a championship. After all, The Big Three, Bosh, James, and Wade, have already admitted they'll hatch out a plan over a sitdown dinner before the July 1st deadline.

Fair or not, the team never had much success with the lefthanded post as the franchise piece. And Toronto management must have been disappointed when Bosh recently tweeted fans asking their opinion on whether to re-sign with the Raptors or leave the only pro team he's ever played for.

While this wasn't exactly Gilbert Arenas flipping a coin to decide between signing with the Los Angeles Clippers or Washington Wizards in 2003, it does show a lack of professionalism.

For years, Toronto has been paying Bosh max' money to lead. But max' money players don't embarrass themselves and their team by discussing their future on twitter like a second rate reality television star.

Toronto and Bosh should agree to part ways and focus on a sign-and-trade. This would be best for all involved, especially if it doesn't involve twitter.

In an interview this week posted on CNNMoney.com, parts of which were also posted on ESPNDallas.com, Cuban expressed his interest in James as a free agent. By commenting on James before he officially becomes a free agent on July 1 -- provided he does not reach an agreement with the Cavaliers before then -- Cuban could be accused of tampering.

Said Cuban in the interview: "Come July 1st, yeah, of course, anybody would be interested in LeBron James, and if he leaves via free agency, then it's going to be tough. If he does like I'm guessing, hoping he will, which is say, 'I'm not going to leave the Cavs high and dry,' if he decides to leave -- there's still a better chance he stays -- then he'll try to force a sign-and-trade, and that gives us a chance. . . . What I do know about LeBron in the minimal time I've spent talking to him is he just wants to win. Money's not his issue. He needs to be someplace where he trusts the organization.

HoopsVibe's Call: Mark Cuban is up to his old tricks -doing anything and everything to give the Dallas Mavericks an opportunity at LeBron James, the most hyped free agent in the history of professional sport.

The league's renegade owner is putting the feelers out, letting James know he'd do a sign-and-trade if the superstar decides not to stay with the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Of course, this is tampering. And, of course, Cuban could well be fined by league head office, but forking over a six figure cheque to the suits in New York would be a small price to pay for James.

Should Cuban tamper to get James? Let us know in the comment box below.

"Hall-of-Famer Calvin Murphy appeared on ESPN radio in Houston today and as all basketball conversations must do, the topic turned to the rumors about Delonte West's dalliance with LeBron James' mom. Murphy's response: "It ain't no rumor."

Murphy—who is not exactly the classiest individual to ever wear an NBA uniform—didn't just say he thinks it could have possibly, maybe happened. He says the story is "absolutely true," that everyone knew about it, and he has "legit" sources who can prove it. Oh, and there's also more than one dude involved. Unbelievable."

HoopsVibe's Quick Call: This 'thing' - we won't yet call it a story - refuses to die.

HoopsVibe's news has one question: if this 'thing' isn't true, if it's nothing but salacious gossip, why aren't LeBron James' people threatening to sue The Deadspin, ESPN, and Calvin Murphy for slander?

Got thoughts? Get at HoopsVibe News in the comment box below with those thoughts.

HoopsVibe's Quick Call: For many reasons, the inmate - no matter how talented and important LeBron James is to your organization - can't run the asylum.

After all, this creates an uncomfortable dynamic in the locker room. There's a fine line between the two-time MVP having a say in personnel matters and ushering out teammates he doesn't jive with -like former Cleveland Cavaliers forward Drew Gooden.

It's also a distraction. James, who again collapsed in the playoffs, should focus on basketball. Nothing else. The sooner this happens, the better off the two-time MVP and his team will be.

There are a handful of teams with the cap space to sign a major free agent. You know the names. New York, Chicago, New Jersey, etc. ... The Wizards have a ton of space under the cap, too, but are seldom mentioned as possible destinations for the likes of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade or Chris Bosh.

Why is that?

"Because," says Grunfeld, "I don't talk to the media that much."

Does a top overall pick put the Wizards in the free agent conversation?

Grunfeld is coy. "We will see," he says. "The No. 1 pick is a good start. We'll see how free agency goes.

While talented and athletic, the first overall pick in the NBA draft isn't nearly enough for the Washington Wizards to land an unrestricted free agent like LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, or Chris Bosh.

After all, the Wizards are years from contending. And James, Wade, and Bosh want to win now. They'll have little time, patience, or interest in a rebuilding project -unless it's in Madison Square Garden or across the river in New Jersey.

With considerable cap space, Washington could consider a second tier free agent, specifically at the four or five spots (sorry, HoopsVibe News isn't fond of the talented, but troubled Andray Blatche).

If Carlos Boozer or Amar'e Stoudemire isn't a fit, they can always preserve their financial flexibility and patiently acquire both young and veteran pieces to support Wall.

This, however, would make too much sense for the Wizards, an organization with a track record for hasty and poor decisions.

Does Washington have a shot at James, Bosh, or Wade? Why? Why not? Get at us in the comment box below with thoughts?

"Decision day hasn't arrived yet but it appears everyone is preparing for it.

The Cavaliers had not performed or scheduled exit interviews with players or coaches as of Monday. Once some or all of those take place, there will be a verdict on coach Mike Brown. But if that decision is a parting of ways, the sides are getting ready for it."

Right now, Cleveland Cavaliers coach Mike Brown and his assistants are waiting for one thing: their pink slip. That rosy little slip of paper is necessary if the Cavaliers are to have any shot, hope, or prayer at re-signing superstar LeBron James.

After all, Cleveland has fallen short two seasons in a row in the playoffs. This year, their second season failure was epic; the NBA’s best regular season team simply quit against a rejuvenated Boston squad.

So change is inevitable. James wants it. What James, the most highly coveted free agent in the history of professional sports, wants, he gets.

Perhaps, Brown, a defensive wizard and stand up guy, deserves better. Problem is, he, like much of the NBA, is a pawn in the coming free agent frenzy. And number 23, The King, is controlling the board.
Does Brown have to get fired for the Cavaliers to re-sign James?

Others weren’t quite so surprised to see William Wesley—or Wes, as he’s known—in the middle of the fray. “At any given time, if you look at any sporting event, there’s a very good chance you’re going to see Wes,” says NBA analyst David Aldridge. Over the years, Wes has been spotted hugging Jerry Jones on the field after a Cowboys Super Bowl win, high-fiving University of Miami football players after a national championship win, and embracing Joe Dumars after the Pistons won the NBA Finals.

He’s been spotted sitting next to Jay-Z at the NBA All-Star Game, with Nike czar Phil Knight at the Final Four, and trolling the sidelines of Team USA practices in Las Vegas and Japan. “People who really know Wes,” says superagent David Falk, Wes’s longtime friend, “know that he’s one of the two or three most powerful people in the sport.”

HoopsVibe's Thoughts: Is he really the puppet master controlling the NBA's most coveted free agent of all time, the great LeBron James? Or is he just another overhyped suit caught in the hysteria and propoganda surrounding this summer's free agent frenzy?

We're talking about William Wesley -known to those in the know as Wes'. Today reports indicate he's The Man behind the James and Coach Calipari package that several teams are allegedly considering.

So, if you want the scoop on this shadowy/mythical figure called Wes click the above link and read the article courtesy of GQ.

James was a no-show at the Cavaliers' practice facility yesterday. His formal exit interview with president Danny Ferry has been postponed. And there already was an erroneous report Mike Brown was fired.

Cavs owner Dan Gilbert denied the report, but Brown did not speak to the media, a telling sign. Gilbert said something could come down in "seven to 10 days" as they "evaluate" the situation. Rumblings are James and Brown had a run-in earlier in the series.

More signs. Sonny Vaccaro, the sneaker-king whose friends with James' entourage, expects James to leave -- for Chicago. The entourage seems to be split between New York, Chicago and Cleveland, and an aide of President Obama said the noted Bulls fan is hoping James comes to the Windy City.

It’s official. LeBron James is a free agent. He’s up for grabs. People were waiting to exhale. Don’t exhale just yet until the first week of July. The Boston Celtics has eliminated the Cleveland Cavaliers from the second round in a disastrous series.

In episode VI of Out of Bounds, Marija Kero dissects LeBron's situation, edits the Sports Guy's list, recaps some draft duds and takes a friendly jab or two at Charles Barkley. There's also a cameo by Stephon Marbury's "Vaseline-eating ass". Let us know your thoughts on the topics, and ask Marija a question by leaving a comment below.

Just when I think I'm out, this story pulls me back in. After reading that LeBron's injury situation was more serious than reported, King James blew up in game three and temporarily put those rumours to rest. Game four saw a slight drop-off for the Akron Hammer (I'm still rooting for that nickname), but there was nothing in his near-triple-double performance to suggest severe damage to his shooting arm.

First off, he's undermined his coach by acting lax after losses when Brown has been sounding alarm bells. It is James' personality not to be too worried about anything and it was not expected that he'd be throwing people into lockers and such. But his "we'll get 'em next game" philosophy has clearly backfired. With the exception of Game 3, despite all the handshakes and nonsense, the Cavs have been knocked on their heels in every game.

It has further become problematic that James has been disengaged during the games. Not only has he fallen into the trap of "letting the game come to him," but he's been increasingly distant. In huddles he's looking at the ceiling or into the distance. It is not the James anyone on the team knows and his teammates and coaches have seen it. More problematic, they can't explain it and that is making the entire locker room uneasy.

On Tuesday it was Zydrunas Ilgauskas and O'Neal that actually were more proactive. They were showing more leadership than James both on the floor and off the floor.

There were two skirmishes on the court. One was with Kendrick Perkins and O'Neal and the other was with Mo Williams and Rajon Rondo. James showed no such fire and then didn't get get involved in the exchanges, staying off to the side.

After the game, in an exclusive interview with The Plain Dealer, Gilbert expressed some frustration at the effort level of his team that he's spending more than $100 million in payroll this season; a team he put together by sparing no expense in an attempt to win the title this season.

"Our entire franchise has done everything in its power to put all of our players and its coaching staff in the best possible position to execute when it counts," Gilbert said. "And to deliver to the highly supportive fans of Cleveland a proud, intense, impassioned all-out drive to achieve a championship."

"The last two home playoff losses and the manner in which we lost these games does not come close to being anywhere near the high expectations all of us have of our organization. Our fans and supporters deserve more."